scholarly journals Studies of the accessory glands of male marsupials

1973 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Rodger ◽  
RL Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Seminal Plasma ◽  
Tubular Epithelium ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Macropus Eugenii ◽  
Accessory Glands ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Australian Marsupial

The reproductive tracts of males from eight species of Australian marsupial were examined (Macropus eugenii, Potovous tridactyhs, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Antechinus stuartii, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Trichosurus vulpecula, Isoodon macrourus, and Perameles nasuta). The prostate glands of these species were found to be of two shapes, carrot-like or heart-like. From one to three pairs of Cowper's glands were observed; these were mostly bulbous in shape but some were kidney-shaped. Both prostate and Cowper's glands were tubular in structure with the glandular tubules lined by a simple columnar epithelium. The glandular tubules of Cowper's glands were of much larger diameter than those of the prostate. The prostate glands were segmented, and this segmentation was usually shown by variations in the height and staining reactions of the tubular epithelium and in the volume of connective tissue between glandular tubules. Differences in microanatomy between pairs of Cowper's glands were far less than those between prostate segments. Mucosubstance appeared to be the major contribution of the prostate to the seminal plasma. This mucosubstance was mainly neutral, with glycogen largely absent. The present results indicate that the Cowper's glands secrete mucus but that various glands also contributed lipid and glycogen.

Records of the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria, 1966-80, on the Distribution of Terrestrial Mammals in Victoria

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
JWF Hampton ◽  
AE Howard ◽  
JBJL Poynton
Keyword(s):  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
The Other ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Antechinus Stuartii ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Hydromys Chrysogaster ◽  
Eleven Species ◽  
Mammal Survey

Records collected by the Mammal Survey Group of Victoria between 1966 and 1980 have been used to map the distributions of 48 species of mammals in Victoria. Data were collected by trapping, spotlighting and chance encounters. On the basis of these records, 11 species were widespread: these are Tachyglossus aculeatus, Omithorynchus anatinus, Antechinus stuartii, Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Macropus giganteus and M. fuliginosus, Wallabia bicolor, Hydromys chrysogaster, Rattus fuscipes, Mus musculus and Vulpes vulpes. Eleven species were very restricted: these are Antechinus minimus, Perameles gunnii, Cercartetus lepidus, Gymnobelideus leadbeuteri, Macropus robustus, Pseudomys apodemoides, P. shortridgei, P. fumeus, P. novaehollandiae, Mastacomys fuscus and Notomys mitchelli. The other 26 species have distributions between these two extremes.

scholarly journals Transferrin Polymorphism in the Australian marsupial mouse Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Gould)

1968 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 587 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Hope ◽  
GK Godfrey
Keyword(s):  
Personal Communication ◽  
Iron Binding ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Protein Patterns ◽  
Red Kangaroo ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
Macropus Rufus ◽  
Starch Gel ◽  
Australian Marsupial ◽  
Transferrin Polymorphism

A number of polymorphisms involving characteristics of the blood have been described in Australian marsupials, but the genetical control of these has been established only for variation in the iron-binding serum protein transferrin in the red kangaroo Macropus rufus (Desmarest) (= Megaleia rufa) (Cooper and Sharman 1964), and the eastern and western grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus (Shaw) and Macropus fuliginosus (Desmarest) (Kirsch and Poole 1967). Transferrin variation in the brush-tail possum Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr), first detected by Kirsch (personal communication), is being studied in this laboratory. The inheritance of the protein patterns developed on a starch gel after electrophoresis may be ascribed to the actions of two or more autosomal allelic genes without dominance.

Mullerian inhibiting substance production and testicular migration and descent in the pouch young of a marsupial

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Hutson ◽  
G. Shaw ◽  
W.S. O ◽  
R.V. Short ◽  
M.B. Renfree
Keyword(s):  
Tammar Wallaby ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Macropus Eugenii ◽  
Müllerian Inhibiting Substance ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Testicular Differentiation ◽  
Testicular Migration ◽  
Australian Marsupial ◽  
Mullerian Inhibiting Substance

The ontogeny of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) production by the developing testis of an Australian marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), was determined during pouch life using an organ-culture bioassay of mouse fetal urogenital ridge. This information was related to the morphological events during testicular migration and descent. MIS biological activity was found in testes (but not ovaries or liver) of pouch young from 2 to 85 days of age. MIS production had commenced by day 2, which is within a day of the first gross morphological signs of testicular differentiation. Mullerian duct regression occurred between 10 and 30 days, which partly coincided with testicular migration to the inguinal region and enlargement of the gubernacular bulb (15 to 30 days). These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that MIS may be involved in testicular transabdominal migration. The epididymis commenced development and growth only after the testis had descended through the inguinal ring. This provides no support for the suggestion that the epididymis is involved in testicular descent into the scrotum. The basic sequence of events in post-testicular sexual differentiation in the wallaby is sufficiently similar to that seen in eutherian mammals to make it an excellent experimental model for future studies of testicular differentiation, migration and descent.

Acrosome stability in the spermatozoa of dasyurid marsupials

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Czarny ◽  
K. E. Mate ◽  
J. C. Rodger
Keyword(s):  
Disulfide Bonds ◽  
Acrosome Reaction ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Calcium Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Macropus Eugenii ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
Triton X ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Physical Challenge

The spermatozoa of most marsupials lack nuclear stabilising disulfide-bonded protamines found in eutherian mammals. However, disulfide stabilisation has been observed in the acrosome of macropodid (Macropus eugenii) and phalangerid (Trichosurus vulpecula) marsupials. As a result this organelle, which is normally fragile in eutherian mammals, is robust and able to withstand physical and chemical challenge in these marsupials. The present study examined acrosomal characteristics of the spermatozoa of three dasyurid marsupials; the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) and northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). In all species examined Bryan’s staining demonstrated that significant acrosomal loss occurred following physical challenge with osmotic stress, cryopreservation without cryoprotectant and exposure to detergent (Triton-X). Bromobimane staining indicated that the acrosomes of dasyurids lacked stabilising disulfide bonds. As reported for the wallaby and possum, calcium ionophore (A23187) did not induce the acrosome reaction-like exocytosis in dasyurid spermatozoa but treatment with diacylglycerol (DiC8) caused significant acrosome loss at concentrations similar to those effective for other marsupials. The present study found that the spermatozoa of dasyurids are more sensitive to physical challenge than the previously-studied marsupials and we suggest that this is due to the absence of acrosomal stabilising disulfide bonds.

The effect of inactivating tannins on the intake of Eucalyptus foliage by a specialist Eucalyptus folivore (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and a generalist herbivore (Trichosurus vulpecula)

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Marsh ◽  
Ian R. Wallis ◽  
William J. Foley
Keyword(s):  
Polyethylene Glycol ◽  
Confounding Factor ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Generalist Herbivore ◽  
Eucalypt Species ◽  
Formylated Phloroglucinol Compounds ◽  
Pseudocheirus Peregrinus ◽  
Maintenance Requirements ◽  
Higher Doses

The paucity of evidence on eucalypt browsing by common brushtail and common ringtail possums suggests that ringtails preferentially eat foliage from trees within the subgenus Monocalyptus. In contrast, brushtails eat less eucalypt foliage than do ringtails and prefer trees from the subgenus Symphyomyrtus. Trees from these subgenera differ in their defensive chemicals. Both contain tannins but it appears that only the symphyomyrts synthesise formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs). We fed possums foliage from several individual Eucalyptus rossii and E. consideniana, both monocalypts, to avoid the confounding factor of FPCs, and examined the effects of blocking tannins by dipping foliage in polyethylene glycol (PEG). Ringtails and brushtails differed in their abilities to eat foliage from these eucalypts. The ringtails ate much more than did the brushtails and showed a small (about 10%) but significant increase in feeding in response to PEG. The brushtails were reluctant to eat foliage from either eucalypt species but doubled their intake when leaves were coated with PEG. Even so, they still did not eat enough to meet maintenance requirements for energy and nitrogen. Neither ringtails nor brushtails preferred foliage from any individual E. rossii tree, suggesting that all trees were equally defended. However, brushtails preferred foliage from some E. consideniana to others. Monocalypt tannins are clearly important barriers to feeding in brushtail possums, but further research with higher doses of PEG will confirm whether they are the only deterrent chemicals in monocalypt foliage.

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